Customer support using virtual machines

Abstract

A customer support system includes at least one subsystem to communicate with a customer about a problem with a customer information handling system (IHS), wherein the customer IHS includes a plurality of first customer IHS data. The plurality of first customer IHS data is received from the customer and used to create a virtual IHS having substantially the same characteristics as the customer IHS. A problem with the customer IHS is then diagnosed using the virtual IHS.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A customer device problem diagnosis method, comprising:
 receiving, by a device support system through a network from a customer device, first customer device data that corresponds to a first customer device runtime environment that is provided using a customer device operating system and customer device hardware that are included in the customer device;   creating, on at least one hardware subsystem in the device support system using the first customer device data, a virtual diagnosis device having a virtual diagnosis device operating system and virtual diagnosis device hardware that provide a virtual diagnosis device runtime environment; and   reproducing, on the device support system using the virtual diagnosis device runtime environment on the virtual diagnosis device, the first customer device runtime environment that includes an operating problem with the customer device.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first customer device data includes a first customer device image of the customer device. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the virtual diagnosis device runtime environment is the same as the first customer device runtime environment. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 sending, by the device support system through the network to the customer device, an electronic link to a network location that includes instructions for providing a physical-to-logical image creation engine that is configured to collect the first customer device data on the customer device and send the first customer device data from the customer device to the device support system.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the physical-to-logical image creation engine is configured to recognize and remove private customer device data that is included in the first customer device data. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving, by the device support system through the network from the customer device subsequent to receiving the first customer device data, second customer device data that corresponds to a second customer device runtime environment that is provided using the customer device operating system and the customer device hardware in the customer device;   comparing, by the device support system, the first customer device data to the second customer device data; and   determining, by the device support system based on the comparing of the first customer device data to the second customer device data, that a change has been made to the customer device.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 diagnosing, on the device support system based on the first customer device runtime environment that is reproduced on the virtual diagnosis device by the virtual diagnosis device runtime environment, the operating problem with the customer device.   
     
     
         8 . An Information Handling System (IHS), comprising:
 at least one virtual diagnosis device hardware subsystem;   a processing system that is coupled to the at least one virtual diagnosis device hardware subsystem; and   a memory system that is coupled to the processing system and that includes instruction that, when executed by the processing system, cause the processing system to:
 receive, through a network from a customer device, first customer device data that corresponds to a first customer device runtime environment that is provided using a customer device operating system and customer device hardware in the customer device; 
 create, on the at least one virtual diagnosis device hardware subsystem using the first customer device data, a virtual diagnosis device having a virtual diagnosis device operating system and virtual diagnosis device hardware that provide a virtual diagnosis device runtime environment; and 
 reproduce, using the virtual diagnosis device runtime environment on the virtual diagnosis device, the first customer device runtime environment that includes an operating problem with the customer device. 
   
     
     
         9 . The IHS of  claim 8 , wherein the first customer device data includes a first customer device image of the customer device. 
     
     
         10 . The IHS of  claim 8 , wherein the virtual diagnosis device runtime environment is the same as the first customer device runtime environment. 
     
     
         11 . The IHS of  claim 8 , wherein the memory system includes instruction that, when executed by the processing system, cause the processing system to:
 send, through the network to the customer device, an electronic link to a network location that includes instructions for providing a physical-to-logical image creation engine that is configured to collect the first customer device data on the customer device and send the first customer device data from the customer device to the device support system.   
     
     
         12 . The IHS of  claim 11 , wherein the physical-to-logical image creation engine is configured to recognize and remove private customer device data that is included in the first customer device data. 
     
     
         13 . The IHS of  claim 8 , wherein the memory system includes instruction that, when executed by the processing system, cause the processing system to:
 receive, through the network from the customer device subsequent to receiving the first customer device data, second customer device data that corresponds to a second customer device runtime environment that is provided using the customer device operating system and the customer device hardware on the customer device;   compare the first customer device data to the second customer device data; and   determine, based on the comparing of the first customer device data to the second customer device data, that a change has been made to the customer device.   
     
     
         14 . The IHS of  claim 8 , wherein the memory system includes instruction that, when executed by the processing system, cause the processing system to:
 diagnose, based on the first customer device runtime environment that is reproduced on the virtual diagnosis device by the virtual diagnosis device runtime environment, the operating problem with the customer device.   
     
     
         15 . A device problem diagnosis system, comprising:
 a first device that includes a first device operating system and first device hardware that operate to provide a first device runtime environment; and   a second device that includes at least one hardware subsystem and that is coupled to the first device through a network, wherein the second device is configured to:
 receive, through the network from the first device, first device data that corresponds to the first device runtime environment; 
 create, on at least one hardware subsystem using the first customer device data, a virtual diagnosis device having a virtual diagnosis device operating system and virtual diagnosis device hardware that provide a virtual diagnosis device runtime environment; and 
 reproduce, using the virtual diagnosis device runtime environment on the virtual diagnosis device, the first device runtime environment that includes an operating problem with the first device. 
   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the first device data includes a first device image of the first device. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the virtual diagnosis device runtime environment is the same as the first device runtime environment. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the second device is configured to:
 send, through the network to the first device, an electronic link to a network location that includes instructions for providing a physical-to-logical image creation engine that is configured to collect the first device data on the first device and send of the first device data from the first device to the second device.   
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the second device is configured to:
 receive, through the network from the first device subsequent to receiving the first device data, second device data that corresponds to a second device runtime environment that is provided using the first device operating system and the first device hardware included in the first device;   compare the first device data to the second device data; and   determine, based on the comparing of the first device data to the second device data, that a change has been made to the first device.   
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the second device is configured to:
 diagnose, based on the first device runtime environment that is reproduced on the virtual diagnosis device by the virtual diagnosis device runtime environment, the operating problem with the first device.